Monday, February 08, 2010

With Valentine's Day soon approaching, for tonight's topic I'm going to write about Elaina and her "boyfriend." While my intention is to use the term "boyfriend" loosely, Elaina has a very different idea.

I still remember the day; it was summer time and lovely weather. We were outside enjoying the day, talking to neighbors and watching the cars go by. Elaina was about 18 months old and was holding onto my hand as she walked the landscaped brick wall which frames our driveway. With each step, she became more brave, more daring and less likely to look down at her feet as she scurried forward. And just like that, she lost her footing and scraped the side of her ankle against the brick. Being the protective Mother Bear that I am (and a first time mom) I pulled her close to comfort her as she buried her face into my chest. As she laid against me, I could only hear a slight whimper and hardly any tears came from her eyes even though her ankle was scraped red with blood. I saw her look up, resting her eyes on "Sammy" and realized that she didn't want to cry in front of him.

Just then, I began to wonder if Elaina was holding back her feelings to show Sammy that she wasn't a baby. Odd reaction for a child who wasn't even two years old and hadn't ever seen that kind of behavior before.

In the two years that have come to pass, she often talks about wanting to marry Sammy. She has asked that when she and Lincoln outgrow their baby toys, if we can send them to Sammy's house for Their kids to play with. During a recent conversation with Eric and myself on what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer was "a doctor, a teacher, a veterinarian and the lady who puts your tray up on the airplane." My reply was that it seemed as though she would be awfully busy with her careers that I wondered how she would ever have time to see her mom and dad. "Don't worry Momma, I'll still live right here, next door, with Sammy. And you can come over any time you want. And I'll even make you dinner." "I'm going to marry Sammy you know."

Concerning, no?

But it even goes further, she'll often talk about when she grows up, when she and Sammy will be married, what color her dress will be and they'll live next door and even what she will be naming her kids. (RosaBella, Maggie Flowers and Junior are a few that I can recall) She doesn't stop. She reminds us of her future plans at least a couple times a month, sometimes multiple times in the same week. I try not to react, but only to listen when she begins her fairytale life story with Sammy, but HOLY SMOKES KID, you're 4 years old! Where does she come up with this imagination? These ideas? Dora doesn't have a boyfriend. TinkerBell isn't interested in getting married. My child has her children named!

Did I mention that fact that Sammy is our next door neighbor? Who is also our friend. Who is also approximately 3 weeks older than Eric. He is well aware of Elaina's "love" for him and he is VERY much appropriate toward her and brushes her off as if he were a kind uncle reacting to her attention.

Yes Elaina, when you are 25, your Sammy will be Golden Buckeye card carrying member and looking towards retirement. Every young girls' dream right?

The only upside to all of our musings is that any time Sam lets me down for any reason, I remind him that he will not be my favorite son-in-law for long.